Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus (i.e., “NPK”) often capture the focus of the agricultural industry as essential requirements for plant or crop growth and health. Calcium, magnesium and sulfur are sometimes measured and monitored as essential macronutrients required for healthy plant growth. In addition to these important ingredients, many trace inorganic minerals (i.e., micronutrients) have been found to further facilitate growth, yield and health in agricultural crops. Such micronutrients include chlorine, iron, boron, manganese, zinc, copper, molybdenum, sodium, silicon and cobalt.
Cobalt is essential for the growth of the rhizobium, a specific bacterium important in legumes that synthesizes vitamin B12. Cobalt assists in nitrogen fixation in plants and increases the availability and uptake of other micro or even macro nutrients.
Other trace minerals found in the soil or supplemented in the soil have additional benefits. For example, zinc improves phosphorus utilization in plants, regulates growth, increases leaf size and corn ear size, promotes silking, hastens maturity and adds healthy weight to crops. Manganese improves nitrogen utilization, plays a vital role in pollination and aids cell energy release mechanisms. Iron is utilized in chlorophyll production and has a role in photosynthesis. Copper helps regulate a plant's immune system, controls mold and fungi, contributes to the photosynthesis process and increases stalk strength. Boron increases calcium uptake, is necessary for sugar translocation within the plant, promotes flowering and pollen production, and is required for cell division and plant growth.
Although naturally found in many types of soil, trace mineral amounts vary by geography, soil type, density of agricultural operations and supplemental programs. Limitations to providing ideal trace mineral supplies to plants or crops include farming costs, time, availability to the plant and chemical and physical compatibility with other agricultural compositions and farming equipment. For example, pre-treatment (or treatment prior to planting of seeds) of seeds with agricultural compositions is not widely utilized, with the exception of fungicides. The sensitivity of seeds to chemical and physical (churning, mixing, etc.) is high and the efficiency of coating and retaining the compositions is low. During agricultural operations, farmers and farming operations strive to remain profitable by reducing time in the field and the costs of additional chemical or biological applications.
Nutrient uptake of plants, and overall health characteristics such as wet weight and leaf size, can vary drastically over the lifetime of the plant, depending on soil conditions, weather, pests, and other factors. Plant health can be a determining factor in harvest timing. Alternatively, extenuating circumstances can require harvesting when plant nutrient content, health, or size is not ideal.